Plants That Attract Hummingbirds: Create a Haven for These Flying Jewels

Do you delight in watching hummingbirds dart through your garden? Discover which plants will draw these tiny aerial acrobats to your yard and how to craft an inviting habitat they'll return to again and again.

Fascinating Hummingbird Facts

• They're the smallest of all birds, weighing less than an ounce and measuring just 3 inches long.
• Their iridescent feathers and lightning-fast movements make them appear as living sun catchers—earning them the nickname "flying jewels."
• They possess the unique ability to fly in any direction, even backward, with wings beating up to 80 times per second.
• They can hover effortlessly in midair while sipping nectar from brightly colored flowers using their long, slender beaks.
• These high-energy dynamos burn up to 12,000 calories daily, requiring them to eat at least half their body weight each day—visiting over a thousand flowers from sunrise to sunset.
• Listen to the call of a ruby-throated hummingbird.
• Learn more about hummingbird biology and behavior.

Creating a Hummingbird-Friendly Garden

For centuries, gardeners have been captivated by the beauty and aerial displays of hummingbirds. The secret to attracting them? Plant abundant flowers and provide a habitat offering shade, shelter, food, and security.

• Incorporate herbs, flowering shrubs, dwarf trees, and vines to create a tiered habitat from ground level to 10 feet or higher.
• Leave generous spacing between plants so hummingbirds have room to hover and navigate between blossoms.
• Provide moving water—a gentle, continuous spray from a nozzle or sprinkler hose creates a perfect "bath on the fly."
• Hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell and rely on bright colors to locate food.
• They're especially drawn to red, often investigating red feeders, plant labels, thermometers, and even a gardener's red clothing.
• Brightly colored, tubular flowers hold the most nectar and are particularly irresistible. Top picks include perennials like bee balm, columbine, daylilies, and lupines; biennials such as foxglove and hollyhock; and annuals including cleome, impatiens, and petunias.
• Find more tips for welcoming hummingbirds to your garden.

An often-asked question: "Why do hummingbirds hum?" We're not entirely sure, but suspect it might be because they don't know the words!

Top Plants for Attracting Hummingbirds

Here's an expanded list of hummingbird magnets. Opt for varieties in red and orange shades for maximum appeal.

Many of these plants also attract butterflies. Learn more about creating a butterfly-friendly garden.

Common Name	Latin Name
Beard tongue	Penstemon
Bee balm	Monarda
Butterfly bush	Buddleia
Catmint	Nepeta
Clove pink	Dianthus
Columbine	Aquilegia
Coral bells	Heuchera
Daylily	Hemerocallis
Larkspur	Delphinium
Desert candle	Yucca
Flag	Iris
Flowering tobacco	Nicotiana alata
Foxglove	Digitalis
Lily	Lilium
Lupine	Lupinus
Pentas	Pentas
Petunia	Petunia
Pincushion flower	Scabiosa
Red-hot poker	Kniphofia
Scarlet sage	Salvia splendens
Scarlet trumpet honeysuckle	Lonicera sempervirens
Soapwort	Saponaria
Summer phlox	Phlox paniculata
Verbena	Verbena
Weigela	Weigela

If you enjoy hummingbirds, you likely appreciate other backyard birds too. Explore these tips for a bird-friendly garden. Do you have hummingbirds or other feathered visitors in your garden? Share your experiences below!